


Turn to Dust or to Gold

by yesteryeargirl



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-19 19:09:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4757663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yesteryeargirl/pseuds/yesteryeargirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt watches out his apartment window at the same time every single morning because (much to his chagrin) he ended up living in the building right across from his high school nemesis, Sebastian Smythe. This has the advantage that he can experience Sebastian’s routine of misadventures. As it turns out, Sebastian is unlucky, clumsy and always late. It works at first, Kurt feels satisfied and content with Sebastian’s little life issues, but it turns out that Sebastian is way too unlucky for anyone to enjoy it. So when Kurt stops being amused it and just feels guilty about laughing over it for so long, he decides to approach Sebastian and buy him a coffee so that he doesn’t have to deal with his conscience. Too bad that coffee ends up being the first of many...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is originally from a prompt on tumblr with a few minor changes, it has a gif set that goes along with it, look for it here: 
> 
> http://hummelssmythe.tumblr.com/post/107829486461/kurtbastian-au-in-which-although-he-is-going-to 
> 
> (also if anyone can teach me how to hyperlink that long thing, I will seriously send you cookies!)  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> So, this wasn't meant to happen (that is how all my fics happen though, so I don't know why I'm still surprised). Thanks for reading and obviously I own nothing other than my crazy thoughts or else the show would still be on and it would revolve entirely around Sebastian and Kurt being adorable and stupid in NY. This was edited by me on my poor sad old phone so all mistakes are entirely (and embarrassingly) mine.

The alarm buzzed just as the sun was breaching the horizon, showing a brightening grey New York skyline. 

But Kurt jumped out of bed, even though he wasn't due at work for a few hours, immediately racing to the kitchen and quickly mixing himself a cup of coffee, the first of many for the day, and then just as quickly although not quite as haphazardly due to the hot drink in hand made his way to the large window facing the street and sat down at the small settee he had placed there.

To anyone else it would just seem like Kurt was relaxing with his morning coffee while watching the day break, but the twitching of his leg as it jumped seemingly of its own volition as his eyes remained fixed on the building across the street told something different. Kurt was waiting for something- or better yet, someone.

He didn't have to wait long, as a young man exited the building and made toward the subway station just down the street, still in sight of Kurt's perch. He watched this man with a steadfastness one would associate with a lion watching its prey, waiting for it to make a mistake so it could go in for the kill. Not even halfway to the subway steps and the man Kurt was watching was already having a rough time managing through the thick snow that had covered the ground the evening before, storm warnings had been issued for the following days and Kurt was sure that this was nothing compared to what was to come. Kurt snickered into his mug as the man below skidded on a patch of ice, barely managing not to fall by grabbing onto a street lamp, swinging himself clumsily in order to keep himself upright.

The man was just about to reach the steps to the subway, Kurt slightly disappointed at the lack of show this morning when an older woman came rushing up the stairs of the subway station the man was about to enter, her arms weighed down with a mountain of files and a giant cup of takeaway coffee, a bulging messenger bag smacking jauntily from her side. She didn't seem to be paying attention to anything but the Bluetooth attached to her ear as she chattered so loudly that Kurt could almost make out her words from his 6th floor apartment. She bumped into the man Kurt was watching, the lid of her coffee cup popping off in the collision and ending up all over the man's coat, dripping down onto his shoes, and no doubt seeping into stain his white dress shirt that was peeking out from the top of his coat.

Kurt outright laughed, the sound echoing in the large empty apartment, at the angry yet stricken face of the man as the woman gave a quick brush off of an apology and continued on her way, drinking the last dregs of coffee and tossing the now empty industrial sized coffee cup into a garbage bin while still jabbering into her earpiece. The man picked at his wet clothes and checked his watch, by now Kurt had a decent handle on the man's schedule and knew that if the man didn't get on the next subway he would be late to wherever it was he went each morning. Kurt watched as he let out a heavy sigh and continued down the steps to the subway, leaving Kurt's line of sight.

Kurt sighed happily at his morning vengeance and went to make himself another cup of coffee. 

Who knew watching Sebastian Smythe every morning would be so much fun?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so obviously this is pretty super late and I am very very sorry (technology has it out for me when I write fanfic I swear). Hopefully my internet will be up and running by the end of this week, until then I am stuck using snippets of internet from my school/my uncle’s place/coffee shop (when I can get to one, which sadly isn’t often). 
> 
> Otherwise, I just wanted to mention that this is entirely AU, mostly because I have not seen the last 2 seasons of the show (I know, I know, but cable is expensive in California). And since it is AU, I am running with it a bit, Sebastian and Kurt will be the same age in this (26 if you’re curious). I am throwing in the Klaine engagement (because obviously Kurt will have some feelings about it and I want to include Blaine as a friend here as well) but there will be no bashing of any characters. So far I know that Kurt’s family will make an appearance (I don’t know if I will include Finn yet or not because sadness) and Sebastian’s family may also be included. Other than that, I am not sure which characters will be in here, but I am sure a fair few will make an appearance, if there is a character you would love to see, let me know and I will try to include them, I know some of the characters don’t get equal appreciation which sucks (which saying that means Tina will probably be in this because I love her and she’s totally underappreciated!) Anyways...
> 
> On to the story!
> 
> (P.S. The only thing I own are the things my crazy imagination comes up with, Glee and it's characters belong to Fox and RIB... blah blah blah)

Kurt was still snickering to himself at his high school nemesis’ misfortune as he walked into the Vogue offices that morning.

“Kurt! My office please.” Isabelle called out from her office door the moment he stepped through the elevator. Kurt sighed; already figuring what this may be about but too indebted to Isabelle to ignore the request. He continued to remind himself that she gave him a full time position right after he graduated from NYADA and still allowed him a flexible enough schedule to go for auditions, although he hadn’t been going to many lately, falling more in love with his role as a shoot designer and columnist for the Vogue.com website.

“You rang?” Kurt drawled as he entered Isabelle’s office and slid her glass door shut behind him.

“You know what I’m going to say don’t you?” Isabelle said without even looking up from her desk, her voice already sounding like a scolding mother.

“He doesn’t even know I’m watching him! I don’t see the harm!” Kurt burst out, exasperated.

“I’m very sure he wouldn’t think of it that way.”

“And I am very sure that if given the opportunity he would do the same to me, only he would film it and put it all over the internet!”

Isabelle looked up from her desk then, eyeing him over her glasses with an unimpressed glance before going back to her paperwork, coaxing, “I understand he was quite the ass in high school but you realize it has been 8 years since you two were in high school? Have you ever thought that maybe he just needs a friend in the big city?”

“I’m very sure he has tons of _friends_.” Kurt muttered.

Isabelle merely glanced at him disapprovingly before gently continuing, “It may be almost a decade ago now, but once upon a time there was a fresh faced boy in this office that was new to the city and I gave him a chance, why don’t you give Stephen the same opportunity?”

“Sebastian.” Kurt instantly corrected before adding, “and because… well…” his sentence lingered off as he tried to think of a justified reason for finding so much joy in Sebastian’s daily struggles, coming up blank other than the already dismissed high school drama, that he really wasn’t upset over anymore. Isabelle was right, it had been a long time since high school and he wasn’t one to hold a silly grudge that long. But _still_. It was _Sebastian Smythe._  

Isabelle smirked and Kurt knew he had lost the argument for today as she handed him some papers and sent him off to his own office.

\---

By mid-afternoon Kurt was still battling with what Isabelle had said and in order to distract himself had opened up Facebook while formatting pages for the website for tomorrow’s meeting.

He was working on a Christmas spread when his computer dinged with an incoming Facebook chat.

 **Blaine:** Hey, aren’t you at work?

 **Kurt:** I’m multi-tasking.

 **Blaine:** Lol, suuure. So, how are you?

 **Kurt:** Haha, seriously I AM. I’m good, I guess. How are you?

 **Blaine:** Okay. I miss snow. It still feels like summer out here.

 **Kurt:** Well that’s California for you. How’s Cooper?

 **Blaine:** Himself? Lol. As annoying as always. I’m hoping to get my own place out here soon, we’re doing a lot better but he’s still… a lot.

 **Kurt:** Haha, well good to know he hasn’t changed. That’s awesome though, I hope you find somewhere nice but all of those are here in NY so… :D

 **Blaine:** That’s just mean. LA has plenty of nice places thank you. :P So… anything new?

Kurt sighed, watching the cursor blinking at him from the chat box. He knew what that question meant, Blaine asked it every time they talked almost. “Anything new?” was really Blaine’s way of asking if there was _anyone_ new in his life. Part of Kurt wanted to lie, to tell his ex-fiancée that there was a line of men outside his door begging to spend the evening with him, plying him with chocolate and lavish gifts just to get his eye to glance their way. _Well_ maybe not _that_ dramatic but still, something. But the truth was that there had been a few dates, set-up’s from friends or guys he met when he actually went to a club on the weekend that had all turned out to be flops pretty quickly after the initial meeting. And yet, neither the lie nor the truth was something Kurt really wanted to share with Blaine. They were still working through being friends again and eventually they would have to get used to the other being with someone else _that way_ but until then…

 **Kurt:** Nothing to write home about I guess. You?

 **Blaine:** Actually… I met someone.

Kurt released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He had been waiting for this moment, every time Blaine asked; Kurt thought he was only asking so he could tell Kurt he himself had someone new in his life, almost like he needed to check with Kurt to know it was okay.

 **Kurt:** That’s great! Did you find yourself a beach boy?

 **Blaine:** Lol. Almost! He is blonde. And a CA native. But he doesn’t actually surf. Not many people do actually – not as many as the movies will have you believe anyway.

 **Kurt:** What!?!? This cannot be true! I had every intention of coming down to visit you and spending the whole time fighting of beach boys covered in tanning oil and making none-too-subtle jokes about how much I like their boards. D:

 **Blaine:** OMG KURT! :hides raging blush: not cool! I am in CLASS!

 **Kurt:** Hahahahahahahaha. That is fantastic! #sorrynotsorry! :D Well, I’ve gotta make a coffee run or I may die, but we need to Skype soon so you can tell me all about your not-a-surfer boy! :)

 **Blaine:** Definitely! I’ll let you know when I find some free time when Cooper isn’t home or else you know he’ll just try to steal the entire conversation.

 **Kurt:** Oh that’s okay. I never _really_ mind. ;)

 **Blaine: ……** …… really? REALLY?

 **Kurt:** Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Let me know when you have a Cooper free moment and we can chat. :) Ttyl.

 **Blaine:** Will do. Ttyl.

Once again left alone with his thoughts, now with Blaine’s news also taking up residence in his mind, Kurt tried to focus on work but found himself simply too anxious. So, leaving the webpage layouts still half completed, he headed downstairs and to the coffee shop across the street, already feeling some of the tension leave him at the notion of a caffeine fix. He was reading a quick email from Tina while waiting in line when he heard a familiar voice ahead of him in the queue.

“One Grande, quad, nonfat, one-pump, no-whip, mocha and a – ” he cuts off for a second to speak to the man next to him, presumably, Kurt assumes to find out his order, and then continues with, “Triple, venti, soy, no foam latte. Thank you.”

Sebastian’s voice was just as Kurt remembered it in high school, cocky and self-assured, but it had an almost staged quality to it that made Kurt look up from his phone and look at the man he secretly watched every morning in his morning fiascos as Sebastian and his _date?_ moved towards the pick-up station.

Kurt couldn’t help but notice how different Sebastian seemed now compared to this morning. He was no longer the flailing, late, new-to-the-city, comically unlucky guy Kurt watched from his window; somehow – even with his collar still stained with coffee – he had transformed into everything Kurt had hated (and if he’s being honest with himself was a little bit envious of) nearly a decade ago – smarmy, cocky, commanding and oozing with charm.

Kurt was so busy watching the other man and his _maybe just a friend?_ as they took their drinks and sat down at one of the little square tables occupying the space and started looking over some papers Sebastian had pulled from the briefcase he always carried that it wasn’t until he heard the barista call out a questioning, “Sir?” that he quickly moved ahead and gave his order quietly, hoping Sebastian wouldn’t see him as he moved towards the pick-up station without trying to draw too much attention – a hard thing to do given he was wearing purple pants.

However Sebastian and what must be his coworker seemed consumed in the small mountain of paperwork now littering the tabletop and Kurt quickly got his drink and practically ran from the shop, not stopping until he was back in the safety of his office, dodging Isabelle’s confused facial expression as he threw himself back into work, his newly acquired cup of coffee quickly forgotten.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, hopefully chapters will be coming much more quickly once I have internet to myself (I have borrowed a friend's wifi thingy until the internet peeps can come out tomorrow but it's a bit spotty) and since I am finally finding a groove with this story (yay!). 
> 
> Kudos and comments are squealed over along with some (very adult) kicky feet and general scaring of the people I take the bus with each morning. 
> 
> Again, thank you for reading!! :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am beginning to sound like the white rabbit from Alice and Wonderland. "I'm late, I'm late." Sorry guys, I hate that too when I am reading a fic so I will try very hard to be better. Speaking of which, this chapter is probably my favorite one so far (not that there are enough for me to say that but still) and it really helped me hammer down where I want this whole thing to go. I am officially super excited. Which is good because that means the muse is probably happy and antsy to get some writing done! Yay! I hope you guys like it as much as I do. 
> 
> As usual, none of 'dis belongs to me but my crazy ideas. Copyrights go to whoever owns 'em. :)

_“And with the weather, here’s—”_

_“Giants pull ahead 14 to—”_

_“Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A.—”_

“Ugh!” Kurt tossed the TV remote to the side as he got up from the couch, pacing towards the kitchen and back. He couldn’t focus, and he couldn’t figure out why he cared so much about what Isabelle said, about Sebastian of all people needing an ally in the big city. Comparing him to Kurt when he came to this beautiful, busy sidewalk city full of vibrant invisible people.

Kurt scoffed, Sebastian was _not_ like him all those years ago. Kurt was an idealistic kid full of too many dreams and not enough sense. This city had taught him to keep those dreams under his pillow and save them for later when his tears and dreams could help them grow. That first year, he had more nightmares than dreams come true. The years following he discovered how to really be the man his father could be proud of, the man he wanted to be the whole time. Sebastian was a cheap version of him, already full of everything he knew he could accomplish with his charm and credit card—how could he be like Kurt when he never had to work for anything in his life? How could he need someone on his side when the whole damn world already was?

Anger and shame sat heavy in his stomach in equal measure as he continued pacing the floor of his apartment—the one he paid for, the one he worked for, the one that still had those silly reupholstered chairs Rachel found all those years ago. Sebastian didn’t have stories like that—he couldn’t.

A voice that sounded annoyingly like Isabelle’s sounded in his head, “why not? Why can’t he have stories and struggles? Because it doesn’t fit into your version of him in your head. That’s not very fair you know. You’re not the person he probably thought you were.”

Kurt grumbled and shooed the voice away as he made his way towards the window. It was late, almost midnight, the glow of the streetlights casting long shadows across the silent street, glistening on the now dirty snow, like foggy starlight. Kurt wasn’t looking for him, honestly. But there he was anyway.

Sebastian Smythe coming up from the subway entrance, carrying that same old briefcase, but now also a binder that looked so full of papers it was near bursting. Gone was the charismatic suave guy from the coffee shop this afternoon, he looked like the same boy Kurt watched gleefully every morning. A little downtrodden but mostly just… exhausted. So very exhausted. Kurt watched him as he made his way down the street towards his apartment, looking so very weighted down that Kurt wondered if there were even more papers stashed in the pockets of his coat. Sebastian maneuvered the bloated binder into the crook of his arm as he switched his briefcase into the same hand and began searching his pockets, scraping his hand through his hair roughly as he exhaled a heavy breath and pushed a button on the panel outside his door.

Kurt turned away from the window. He hated the feeling he had watching that Sebastian. He couldn’t hate that man. He couldn’t turn him into a Disney style villain who used a Michael Jackson face-off to cause almost irreparable damage to what Kurt had thought at the time was the only love of his life. That boy out there was lost and tired and sad and lonely and that wasn’t what Kurt wanted to see. It made him too human, it made Kurt the biggest ass in the world, waking up early just to see him on his daily misfortunes. And there had been a lot. This morning’s caffeine attack was mild in comparison to many other mornings over the last 5 months.

The morning Sebastian was almost an hour late, looking like a human whirlwind as he jetted down the street before slipping and crashing himself right into a streetlight. There had been blood gushing quickly from his nose and cursing Kurt could hear all the way up to his apartment. And Kurt had chuckled. He had actually laughed. His father would have been ashamed of him if he knew.

The morning Sebastian came from the subway station instead of his apartment, Kurt had assumed from a very long night out on the town. Scoffing at Sebastian as he teetered towards his apartment, a hand to his head and that damn briefcase in hand. Kurt had expected him to go inside and sleep it off, but Kurt barely had time to rewarm his coffee before Sebastian was coming back down the stairs in a new suit, travel mug in hand, knocking back what Kurt assumed was aspirin and heading back towards the subway. Kurt convinced himself that Sebastian must be kissing some boss’ ass or trying to get into an intern’s pants and missing a day would put him behind on his progress. He ignored the more than small part of him that was impressed with Sebastian’s work ethic.

The morning Sebastian’s umbrella decided to go find Mary Poppins during a heavy downpour, turning Sebastian into a wet mop in the few minutes it took for him to get to the subway station steps, only for him to slip on the stairs and land on his ass hard. Kurt had been thoroughly amused, wondering if Sebastian had missed his calling as a stunt man since he got injured so often.

The very first morning Kurt had seen him, completely by accident, having gotten up early for a presentation and noticed someone moving in across the street stopping his internal monologue of wearing his new scorpion broach or playing it safe with the more subtle piece Carol had gotten him last Christmas. He had watched the man moving all of his boxes, tripping over himself and constantly waving off the man, Kurt assumed the owner of the apartment, trying to help him carry his boxes for quite a while wondering where his family or friends or somebody was before recognizing him. Kurt had been very startled realizing he had been feeling bad for this lonely man moving into a new city full of its vibrant but invisible people and then noticing that he knew that grin and long careless limbs smattered with freckles.

And now there he was, 5 months of horrible luck and bad mornings and late nights later and Sebastian was still standing on his doorstep talking to the speaker box outside his door, looking like he had the world on his shoulders and it was crushing him down slowly but surely and he was just so tired of fighting it. And Kurt had been amused by it. Had taken refuge in the idea that Sebastian’s life was worse than his own. Not that Kurt had a bad life with his lovely job and lovely apartment and everything his 18 year old self had never dared to dream he would really have. But he wasn’t on Broadway, now was he? He had ran from that dream, too afraid to always be what people saw and never what he did. He had settled and he knew it. The boy he had loved was across the country falling in love with a sunshine boy and Kurt knew he deserved it, but Kurt never was good at finding what he wanted and he was tired of trying and failing. His father would be disappointed. Sometimes Kurt thought maybe Burt was just a little bit, always looking at him like he was waiting for something, this curious expression that always sounded like “Well, now what?” in Kurt’s head when he saw it. He always just shrugged back and watched his father sigh and nod, a small smile on his face saying “someday kid, someday.”

And Kurt watched as a young woman with bright red curls opened the door for Sebastian, looking at him with a sorrowful gaze—almost like pity but much more kind, ruffling Sebastian’s hair, much to his apparent annoyance, before holding the door open for his to pass through with a laugh Kurt thought he could almost hear. Kurt’s sigh of relief could not be helped at this point. The guilt had one, Isabelle was right (although he never planned to tell her that), and Kurt was glad that Sebastian seemed to have at least someone on his side.

But really when he thought about it, Sebastian had really always been alone. Even surrounded by the Warblers he had always been separate somehow, never fully integrated into the group. And Kurt had never questioned it—never really noticed it. But now it was glaringly obvious that Sebastian was always alone. And Kurt could have gone down on that first day and said hello, given Sebastian a hard time for moving into a 6 floor walkup in Brooklyn and asked if he wanted to have coffee because Kurt knew the best place this side of the bridge. He could have given him a reprieve. But instead he watched, like commuters watched a car accident only to cause 3 more. Like the wreckage was funny because it wasn’t happening to him. And suddenly Kurt was nauseous with himself. Because who had he become if something like that was acceptable?

He turned away from the window, closing his eyes against the world, his body shaking from a sudden chill. Slowly, he turned out the lights and headed towards his bedroom, far away from the window and his guilty conscious. As he got ready for bed, he resolved himself to rearrange his furniture in the morning; that chaise had to go somewhere else. He was no longer going to be a spectator when he could be trying to help give that invisible man someone else to see him. Hell, he could use someone to see him too, Kurt thought as he drifted off.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so yeah, I will try to be more active on this and since my midterms are done that should free up some time. 
> 
> On a completely (seriously completely) unrelated note - if you haven't heard this new Sara Bareilles song for the show Waitress, I highly suggest you listen to it, it was what I was listening through this whole chapter (which perhaps explains some things) here is the youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DToejUka-XU
> 
> And as always - thank you so very much for reading!! :D <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They FINALLY meet in this chapter guys! So I won't keep you, but some shameless self-promotion (not really) but if you want to go look at my very under-utilized tumblr, I am going to be posting a timeline for this story there and it's really pretty and took WAY too long to do so I would love it if you'd look at it and I will be updating it throughout the story for an easy way to see everything in 1 picture if you like that sort of thing. You can find me at yesteryeargirl.tumblr.com :)   
> \----  
> Nope not mine, this show would've been on HBO if it were mine... so let's just not, okay?  
> ^(also this is a hint that eventually this story will go up to an M rating for smut, jsyk)

The next morning dawned a grey tinged white, everything covered in day old snow. Just like every other morning, Kurt got up too early and made coffee and sat down at the chaise by the window. But today he wasn’t watching for amusement, he was studying.

Right on time, Sebastian appeared and headed towards the subway. Kurt immediately noticed that he looked as if he hadn’t slept at all, the bulging binder in his clutches again and Kurt couldn’t help but wonder if Sebastian had stayed up all night doing all of that paperwork. And then Kurt began to wonder about Sebastian Smythe. Who had he become in the last near decade? What did he do that made him get so little sleep and deal with so much paperwork? Why did he just move to New York? Kurt was consumed with his thoughts that he almost missed Sebastian heading down towards the subway, for once without incident—until a gust of wind came blazing up the entrance stairs, probably from a departing train, causing all of the loose papers in the binder to go flying, heading in various different directions as the winter wind carried them into piles of snow, into the middle of the road, and on porches nearly half way down the street.

Kurt watched as Sebastian tossed his head back in frustration and began climbing back up the stairs to collect all the runaway papers. Kurt also knew that Sebastian was going to miss his train if he didn’t get all those papers picked up fairly quickly. And without another thought, Kurt was throwing on his coat and boots, ignoring the fact that he was still in sweats and an old shirt from his dad’s shop and racing out the door without even checking his hair in the mirror.

He made it out of his apartment in record time, having gotten used to the flights of stairs over the last few years and he walked quickly towards where Sebastian was still hunting down papers. Kurt noticed one sitting on a walkup in front of him and picked it up on his way towards the man that didn’t know Kurt had been watching him for months enjoying mornings like this, where it seemed karma had finally caught up with Kurt’s old nemesis.

Kurt continued to pick up papers in his path and pretty soon he was standing in front of Sebastian with a small, slightly damp stack of them, and he had no idea what to say. Luckily, Sebastian hadn’t even noticed him yet, having opened the huge binder, flipping through it at record speed as if looking to make sure all the papers were there.

Pretty quickly, however, Sebastian seemed to notice someone was standing in front of him where he was kneeling in the snow and he looked up while rushing out, “Oh! Thank you, I’m so sorry I didn’t see— _Kurt?”_

Kurt couldn’t help the light chuckle that escaped him as he handed Sebastian the papers he had picked up. “In the flesh. It appears we are neighbors.” He said as he motioned back towards his apartment building.

Sebastian was staring at him with such a confused expression Kurt thought he may have gone into shock if he didn’t start speaking, “Oh wow, what a small world huh? How long have you been there?”

“About 3 years, I got the place right after Blaine and I officially split since our old place was just too…” Kurt trailed off, not wanting to show his underbelly to Sebastian just yet and wishing he could take back the words.

“Too many memories? Yeah I get it. That’s why I’m here—well one of the reasons. My boyfriend and I split and everywhere I went in Chicago reminded me of him and it was just too depressing, you know?”

Kurt was silent from shock—Sebastian had said it like it was a normal thing—him having an apparently quite serious relationship and understanding exactly what Kurt had not wanted to admit but not mocking him with it at all.

“You okay there tiger?” Sebastian said with a bit of mirth and that famous smirk back on his face as he knelt down to mess with that huge binder again.

“Y-yeah, I guess you threw me through a bit of a loop there. Ya know, with a boyfriend serious enough to make you leave a city for is a pretty big deal and when we last spoke you were still very much into your lovely- ah- ‘twenty minute love connections?’” Kurt responded, trying not to be awkward but feeling like he was failing.

But Sebastian laughed, a loud full laugh that made Kurt’s stomach feel warm, as he added, “Well that’s true but 8 years is a lot of growing time—even for the likes of ‘smirky meerkats.’” He have Kurt a look as he gets up, heaving the binder up along with him, before continuing, “for instance, the last time we spoke you were madly in love with Blaine, fashion and your skincare routine—which has obviously done you well, but I’m assuming ‘Hummel’s Tire and Lube’ isn’t the next up-and-coming designer at this year’s Fashion Week?”

Kurt wants to hate him and his stupid smirk as a blush rises to his cheeks and he curses his pale complexion when Sebastian’s smirk only gets wider as he notices, but Kurt can tell the teasing is coming from a place of fun and isn’t meant to be cruel, he can even appreciate this Sebastian—he is at the very least, genuine.

“Well no, but then again I don’t normally wear this anywhere but my own home. Next time maybe I won’t help you with your runaway papers then if this is the thanks I get.” He says it all with a sarcastic lilt to his voice, and is own smirk painted across his mouth and he is amused when Sebastian is quick to respond—having not realized how much he had enjoyed their tête–à–tête.

“Oh no—really—all joking aside, thanks. My uncle—who I work for now—would’ve killed me if I didn’t have all of this prepared for today’s pitch. And speaking of which, I hate to end this conversation before teasing you about wearing sweats in public—oh how the mighty have fallen—but I do have a train to catch.”

“Oh look, you managed to still do both!” Kurt says laughing, “But I completely understand, I have to get ready for work myself, but it was nice to see you—surprisingly enough.”

“Yeah, it was nice to see you too, maybe sometime you can show me where to get a decent cup of coffee in this city.” Sebastian responds, tacking the last part on like an off-hand statement but Kurt can see the question in the way he tilts his head and smiles just a little as he says it.

“That sounds like a plan, I don’t know how you have survived without good coffee if you have to get up for work this early. Maybe we can run into each other Saturday and find something decent?”

“Sounds fantastic, I shall bow to your coffee wisdom when I don’t have to catch this stupid train. What apartment are you in?”

“20B.”

“8 AM Saturday?”

“That’ll work.”

“See you then and thanks again, really, you saved my ass.”

“Not a problem, I’ll see you Saturday—don’t be late!” Kurt rushes out as he points towards the platform where they can just see people starting to get up from their seats as if a train is approaching.”

“Good plan. See ya!”

“Bye!”

And then Sebastian is gone is a mess of limbs and paperwork and Kurt tries to ignore the warm sensation in his stomach spreading into his limbs as he turns back to his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so so very much for reading!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the very first bit of this that I wrote on a whim when I should have been in my psychology class (c'est la vie). I definitely plan to continue it, but my muse and my ADHD have gotten together and are currently trying to plot a million things at once, so I don't have a clear outline for this yet - bare with me. :) 
> 
> Comments and Kudos are much appreciated thank you!
> 
> P.S. If there is anyone still alive waiting on the next piece of the Causal 'Verse, I owe you the biggest of all apologies, I have rewritten the second part now over 7 times, most of them due to technology fumbles (my laptop got a virus which deleted a lot of my files including that one, I got it fixed (Trojans are expensive) and rewrote it, and then the stupid laptop crashed completely, I then rewrote it on my uncle's laptop that I borrowed and then my adorable baby nephew poured juice all over the stupid thing, frying the battery and losing everything, and now I am just so angry with it that it has been difficult to write, and everything that I have I don't like enough to post. I PROMISE to really focus on it, I love that story so so so very much and I really want to put more of it up, just again, please bare with my crazy. Thanks! <3


End file.
